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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: rush · wax · temple · kid · stick · craft · tear · bear

  1. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. kid — to tease
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. kid — child
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. craft — a skill
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. tear — to rip
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. bear — the animal
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. tear — from crying
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. craft — boats
  21. bear — the animal
  22. rush — hurry
  23. wax — to grow
  24. rush — a thrill

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com